


Stranger Things

by Tarlan



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: mcsheplets, Humor, M/M, Trope Bingo Round 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-10
Updated: 2013-08-10
Packaged: 2017-12-23 01:13:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/920250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodney's luck with women was abysmal, and why did he need women anyway?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stranger Things

**Author's Note:**

> Written for:  
>  **mcsheplets** Prompt: #152 Sick  
>  **ancientctybingo** Prompt: Outsider POV  
>  **trope_bingo** prompt: coming out (of the closet)

Rodney had known John Sheppard for just a little over five years. He'd seen him cold and miserable, physically hurt and mentally suffering, badass and kickass. He had mocked his braying laugh and glared at his teasing smirk. He'd seen John looking shy and awkward around women as if he didn't realize how beautiful he was, and at other times he'd seen him just downright oblivious to their hungry gazes.

He thought he knew John, and he was sick of all those women trying to use him as a means to get John to pay them some attention. Stupidly, he fell for it every time, not realizing that they were ingratiating themselves with him just to have an excuse to get closer to John. It never ended well for all parties concerned. John would look awkward and confused when they butted into conversations and simpered at him, then annoyed on his behalf. Rodney would feel used when he realized his _girlfriend_ only had eyes for John, and the hot women would later decide it was all his fault for being given the cold shoulder from John, accusing Rodney of cockblocking before slapping him around the face and walking off in a huff.

Even Jennifer admitted - after they broke up - that she'd originally been more interested in John than in him, and that was the final indignity.

Rodney decided to give up on women.

After five years they had barely covered a quarter of the city in their search for new technology. He had his research in a dozen fields, any one of which could earn him a coveted Nobel Prize if his work was ever published before his demise. And he had a best friend who seemed to prefer catching re-runs of science fiction shows and mocking bad movies with him to finding a girlfriend.

What more did he need from life? Apart for the end of the Wraith, and the Asurans... and Replicators, and possibly the Lucian Alliance if news from the Milky Way was to be believed.

There was a time when he thought it was important for him to pass on the McKay genes, but Jeanie had that covered with Madison and the more recent birth of his nephew. Admittedly, they had the Miller name but that didn't negate half the genes coming from a McKay. Hopefully it was the half that excelled at hard science rather than English literature. Though under duress, he might admit that Kaleb wasn't all bad for an English major.

John got on well with Kaleb. He got on well with Madison and Jeanie too but Rodney put that down to the effect John had on most of the female population of two galaxies. His gravity-defying, artfully tussled hair, goofy smile and handsome face usually won them over even before they saw him in his military uniform for the first time. And let's not even dwell on the impact of his dress blues on the female libido, Rodney thought, rolling his eyes.

Overall, Rodney knew he ought to feel jealous and inadequate, and maybe he had been a little envious in the past - until he realized that John rarely showed any interest in any of the women unless they seemed genuinely into Rodney instead. The exception had been Jennifer - at least so he had thought until that post-break up confession. It had annoyed him at first because John could have practically any woman at the snap of his fingers, and yet once he had lured them away, he became disinterested in them.

Not that he had tried to lure away Jennifer, but he'd never been that friendly towards her either.

It was puzzling, and annoying, and it meant Rodney experienced dry spells lasting months before he got lucky again, for a short time at least. Admittedly sometimes only for the one night but he had once honestly believed that one night was still better than a solo performance _every_ night.

Not any more though. Women were more trouble than they were worth for the few sweaty moments of pleasure. He didn't have to buy his right hand expensive gifts or tone down his sarcasm so he wouldn't upset it. He didn't have to spend evenings feeling his brain cells shrivel up and die while watching romantic comedies and soaps just to ensure it would be in the mood to put out later.

Teyla thought it was just a strange phase he was going through but as the weeks passed, Rodney actually started to feel happier without the stress of trying to get laid. John side-eyed him occasionally but otherwise seemed happier too without the stream of women trying to get into his pants via Rodney.

And so life went on until Rodney overheard a conversation between two marines on sentry duty, in the early hours of the morning.

"You think now D.A.D.T's been repealed, the Colonel and McKay will come out?"

"Don't know. The Colonel's always been pretty tight-lipped over his privacy."

"Not so much McKay!"

"I don't know about that. You don't get to be Chief Scientist of an alien city in another galaxy without being able to keep some pretty big secrets."

"True."

The rest of the conversation was lost as the two marines turned the far corner.

"Oh my God. They think we're gay."

At first he felt his manly pride rise in anger but by the time he reached his quarters, other thoughts were intruding that all centered around his best friend. The artfully messy hair and obliviousness to women, the way John was always so pleased to see him, pretending nonchalance and yet happy to share his day and listen to Rodney's grumbles about the incompetence of the so-called scientists around him. He thought about the way they shared snacks while sitting shoulder to shoulder on the bed watching re-runs, fingers brushing, and yet so comfortable with each other's touch that he didn't really notice the intimacy.

Suddenly Jeanie's words to him last Christmas made sense when she told him ' _John was a keeper_ '.

"Oh my God. Jeanie thinks we're gay for each other."

Yet the more he thought about it, the more... right it seemed.

That evening, he stomped into John's quarters unannounced as usual.

"Did you know we're gay for each other?"

John blinked, his hand stilling as if he had forgotten all about the golf club he was cleaning in a decidedly lewd, hand-job fashion. John opened his mouth to say something but Rodney continued on, pacing up and down the room.

"One. We spend all our free time together. Two. We eat practically every meal together. Three. We like the same bad movies, mock the same TV shows and read the same comics books, though admittedly you seem to think Superman is better than Batman but we can't agree on everything as that would be unnatural."

"Rodney-."

"Four. Neither of us has been interested in seeing anyone else in months."

By now John had dropped the club and was on his feet, watching Rodney intently. "Rodney."

"About the only thing we haven't done is sleep together, which I wouldn't be too averse to because..." Rodney waved a hand. "You're John."

John caught him by the shoulders, forcing Rodney to stop pacing and face him square on. He stared hard at Rodney for a moment before his beautiful hazel-green eyes softened and his perfectly bowed lips curled in a rare, pure yet indulgent smile.

"About time, McKay," he murmured softly, his joy-filled smile taking any sting out his next words "I was starting to get a little sick of waiting for you to catch on."

Before Rodney could respond, those soft lips were pressing firmly against his, and by the time Rodney could think clearly again, he was naked and relaxed in the way only good sex could ever manage, and wrapped around an equally naked and completely satisfied John Sheppard. He was bemused for a second but then shrugged and settled in against John's hairy chest.

This was Pegasus after all, and much stranger things had happened than falling in love with his best friend.

END


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